Tentative drawings for Phase 2 of the project.
Godwin Retires After 23 Years of Service
By Emily Parker
Godwin Retires After 23 Years of Service
By Emily Parker
Cindy Godwin, ʼ74, associate vice president of institutional advancement, retired on April 1, 2024, after 23 years of service. Her dedication to raising funds, cultivating relationships, and her sheer joy in helping her alma mater grow stronger are appreciated by her staff, all members of Institutional Advancement, and the campus community.
She was a leader in several campaigns during her tenure, but most recently in 2018. She worked on Beyond Strong⏐The Campaign for Meredith through which $90,466,720 was raised. The endowment grew from $67 million to $116 million at its highest point and 32 donors gave $1 million or more in the Beyond Strong campaign versus three donors in the previous campaign. The fundraising team has gone from raising, on average, $5 million annually to more than $10 million.
Her work in recent years with corporate donors helped fund numerous projects. She was always a bridge between the faculty and Institutional Advancement and her dedication helped the College go strong during her tenure.
Colleagues from Institutional Advancement share these thoughts about Godwin.
“Cindy and I worked as a well-oiled team because our strengths complemented each other so well. Cindy was better at managing a lot of Institutional Advancement’s administrative duties than I was and that allowed me to concentrate on other things. We will truly miss her!”
Lennie Barton, vice president of Institutional Advancement
“Cindy has made a dramatic impact on Meredith College and the future of the institution through her leadership within Institutional Advancement. As associate vice president, one of her major responsibilities was to lead the major gift fundraisers. Cindy created a happy, collaborative team through her open-door policy, collegiality, and sense of fairness. Because she listened, all felt heard. Cindy encouraged individuals to use their strengths and empowered them to do so. She is not afraid to do hard things and is a prompt decision-maker. Additionally, she created strong funding sources through her work in foundation relations. She is a devoted member of the Class of 1974 and has spent many hours working with the leaders within her class. Cindy is an outstanding alumna for many reasons, but the culture of giving she nurtured personally and through her successful team is unprecedented.”
Billie Jo Cockman, ʼ79, director of strategic giving
“When working with Cindy I knew my voice would be heard and valued. She was a fun and positive leader who took pleasure in getting to know me, answering my many questions, and building my knowledge of the department. Her open-door policy, ability to quickly make decisions, and offer feedback were an asset to her team. She was okay with not having all the answers because she knew her team’s strengths; she had confidence in her team. She is above all a leader who values others, sharing ideas and diversity of thought and what a Meredith College education can provide to women and their communities.”
Jen Kaisersatt, administrative assistant to the associate vice president of institutional advancement
“Cindy has been an absolute asset to our entire community throughout her tenure, and I feel fortunate to have worked under her leadership. A few qualities I admire most about Cindy’s leadership include her solution-oriented mentality, unwavering and instantaneous support, and her ability to ask smart and strategic questions.”
Margo Alfieri, ʼ11, regional director of strategic giving
“Cindy’s management style was to give the strategic gift officers the information and guidance to do our job, then allow us to do it. She did not micro-manage but trusted us to execute our game plan. As the newest team member, I was welcomed by Cindy with grace and kindness and she was always available to answer questions and offer suggestions about how to handle difficult or awkward situations with donors. She truly is going to be missed.”
Eric Douglass, director of strategic giving for athletics
“I have long admired the way Cindy approaches a question or challenge (or a combination of both) with grace and confidence as she works to secure support for Meredith’s future. She is completely at home at Meredith, and the College has benefitted from her dedication and extraordinary years of service in Institutional Advancement. It was a pleasure to work with her.”
Renee Keever, ʼ79, institutional advancement
“I value her bank of knowledge, whether from her time on the IA staff or as a student herself. It was incredibly valuable. She always had good advice on how to be the best we can be as gift officers, and I appreciated that. Also, her compassion and kindness as a colleague, and support through the highs and lows of our lives. She is a good friend to us.”
Claire Ruocchio, director of strategic giving